State of Emergency declared in Estill County due to wildfire

ESTILL COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - The Estill County Judge Executive declared a state of emergency in the county on Tuesday due to a fire emergency.

Fire crews are actively working to control a wildfire in Estill County.

Fire officials have been out on Pitts Road battling a brush fire. Smoke from the fire can be seen for miles. As of 10 a.m., Estill County EMA says between 300-500 acres have burned.

The Kentucky Division of Forestry says around 30 acres are still burning.

Heavy smoke, large flames and sounds of popping are some of the sights and sounds. The wind is also making it difficult for fire officials.

Officials say the fire was started by a single cigarette. Burn bans were in place in the county at the time. Helicopters continue to take buckets of water to the scene, but smoke continues to plume for miles.

Estill County Judge Executive Donny Watson says the smoke creates potential health risks for people in the area.

“You know people have breathing problems and asthma and as you can see there is smoke everywhere. So, this is drift down into the valley and in town and can create a lot of health problems that we normally don’t think about,” Watson said.

The Division of Forestry and emergency management officials say that, as of 10 a.m., 40% of the fire is contained.

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